Ventilated toilet



Nov. 20, 1951 T. R. WILSON 7 VENTILATED TO'ILET I 7 Filed Aug. 21, 1945 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. Theodore R M [6017 A .TTORNEY Patented Nov. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENTILATEDI TOILET TheodorerR. Wilson,uSeattle,;' Wash.

Application AugustJZl, 1945; Serial No."611;755 23Glaims. (01. 4-213) The present invention relates to a ventilated toilet.

In the priorart'there' havebeen many devices for the ventilation-of toilet bowlsjbut most of these have taken the air fromithevtoilet bowl by means of specia1-openings, or have taken the air in from under the toilet seat, and have discharged such air into the building wall or through a special connection into the ventilating stack of the plumbing.

The use of'specialopenings into the toilet bowl is undesirable, asthey are unsightly and difficult to keep "clean. The use of 7 a separate-connection to the buildin wall or to' the ventilating stack is undesirabla as it requires special work on the job which materially increases the cost of installation, and --in many "cases allows "the back flow of gases.

Having in mind these defects of the prior art,

it is an object of the present invention to devise a ventilating system for a toilet bowl which will use the openings already present for the inlet of water, as the openings through which air may be removed from the bowl.

A further object of the present invention is the devising of means for' discharging the air removed from the toilet bowl into the outlet of the bowl.

The above mentioned defects of the prior art are remedied and these objects attained by removing air from the toilet bowl through the water inlet opening, taking this air above the water level in the toilet tank so that the air duct will not be flooded, passing this air through a fan, and discharging it through a water trap into the outlet of the bowl.

A device embodying the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a section in elevation of a toilet bowl and tank embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a wiring diagram for the fan motor.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a toilet bowl I, provided at its upper side with a water ring 2, having formed therein water inlets 3. The bottom of the bowl is shaped to form an outlet trap 4 in the entrance 5 of the bowl outlet conduit 6 which has an exit 7. The inlets 3 of the bowl connect through an inlet conduit 8 with a water storage tank 9, whose outlet is controlled by the conventional ball and associated operating means I0. Connected to the bowl inlet conduit 8 is an air duct II, which extends upwardly to a point I2 well above the normal level of the water in the tank, and then downwardly to a fan I3 actuated by motor I4. From the fan l3 the-air duct H extends downwardly through a water trap I5 and into the'outlet conduit 6. Thelower end of the air duct II is between the bowltrap 4 and the exitl of the bowl outlet conduit. A by-pass drain Hiprovides a means for supplying water from the inlet conduit 8 to the'water trap I5. The tank 9 is provided with an overflow opening H.

The bowl is provided with a seat 2!] which is hinged at 2| to the hingesupport arm 22. -As shown in Fig. 2, there are two hinge support arms 22, which extend downwardly through a portion'ofthe bowl. The support arms 22 are supported in rubber mountings23 and 24. The lower ends 25 of" the support arms are connected bymeans of*a-yoke26to an electrical contact 27 which cooperates =withafixed contact 28. These contacts control the operation of the motor I4. The contacts 21 and 28 are associated in. a suitable manner with a source of power. The contacts 21, 28, may be arranged in parallel with a wall switch 29 to obtain optional control.

The above device will operate as follows: with the water tank full and the trap full as shown, and a load placed on the seat 20, part of this load will be transmitted to the hinge 2I and, thus, to the arm 22. This load will tip the arm 22 downwardly and force the lower end 25 of the arm to the left of the position shown in Fig. 1. This movement of the end of the arm 25 to the left will carry with it the yoke 26 which. will in turn close the contacts 21, 28 and set the motor I4 and fan I3 into operation. Operation of the fan I3 will draw air through the water inlet openings 3, through the inlet conduit 8, the air duct II, through the trap I5 and into the outlet conduit 6 of the bowl I. When the.load is removed from the seat 20, the fan will ceas operation. Operation of the fan I3 may be made continuous by actuation of the parallel switch 29. The toilet may be flushed when the fan is running or when it is not running, and in either case water will not be drawn through the air duct E! into the fan. This is so not only because of the height to which the duct II is carried above the normal level of the water in the tank 9, but also because the overflow opening I! serves to relieve the pressure in the duct II, and to balance the water level in the tank with that in the duct I I. When water from the tank 9 flows through the inlet conduit 8, a portion of this water will flow through the by-pass I6 and serve to maintain the water level in the water trap I5.

The water trap I5 prevents sewer gas from passing backwardly through the duct II when the fan is not in operation. It is also to be noted that the relative dimensions of the trap and the portion of the duct I I immediately above the trap is such that back pressure on the trap will establish a relatively high head, several inches of water in the duct l 1, before gas can pass under the lip of the trap. At the same time the trap offers but slight resistance to the forward passage of air. This use of a differential water trap in the duct H is important, for the purpose of keeping a low pressure head on the fan and establishing a high head against back pressures.

From the above description, it will be seen that this device will remove air from toilet bowls and discharge it into the sewer drain without the need of special connections or construction other than that coming with the toilet bowl and tank as a unit.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A toilet, having: a water supply tank and a toilet bowl, a water inlet conduit connecting said tank and bowl, an outlet conduit from said bowl, an outlet trap in the entrance of said outlet conduit, an air duct connecting said inlet conduit with said outlet conduit between said outlet trap and the exit of said outlet conduit, said duct having a rising and a descending portion thereof above the normal level of the water in said tank,

2. A toilet, having: a water tank, a toilet bowl, a seat for said bowl, a water inlet connecting said tank and bowl, an outlet conduit from said bowl, an outlet trap in the entrance of said outlet conduit, an air duct connecting said inlet conduit with said outlet conduit between said outlet trap and the exit of said outlet conduit, said duct having a rising and a descending portion thereof above the normal level of water in said tank, formed in said rising portion a vent communicating with said tank, a water trap in said duct, a fan in said duct between said descending portion and said water trap, and below said water inlet, a by-pass drain around said fan and between said inlet conduit and said water trap for supplying water to said trap, and a switch operated by a load on said seat for actuating said fan; whereby said fan may take air from said inlet conduit and discharge such into said outlet conduit While such load is on said seat. THEODORE R. WILSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

